Art of packaging cigarettes



Aug. 9, 1932 A. v. STRELITZ I ART OF PACKAGING CIGARETTES Filed April 17. 1951 Ni ENTER.

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I Patented Aug. 9, 1932 ARTHUR V. STBELITZ, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN ART OF RAGKAGING CIGARETTES Application filed April 17, 19:31. Serial No. 580,786.

This invention relates in general to improvements in the art of packaging cigarettes.

Heretofore it has been common practice for L; manufacturers of the popular priced ciga-v rettes to wrap their products in groups of ten or twenty with a plurality of layers of protecting material to form a non-rigid container which can be opened at one end. With this type of container, when a numberof the cigarettes have been used there is no support for the others in the package and they are permitted to shift about with the result that considerable tobacco is, lost from the ends thereof. Furthermore, the unprotected individual cigarettes are frequently crushed or broken due to their freedom in the non-rigid package, and they are thus rendered unfit for use.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of this invention to obviate the above-mentioned objectionable features by providing an improved cigarette package embodying means for protecting each individual cigarette and for maintaining each cigarette in an upright position in the package to prevent loss of tobacco, to prevent breakage of the cigarettes, and to aid in maintaining the cigarettes in a firm and fresh condition regardless of how few cigarettes remain in the package.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a filler for use in the usual cigarette package which filler is formed with individual compartments within which the cigarettes are held and protected. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a filler for use in a cigarette package, the filler being formed in a plurality of 49 sections, with one section foldable on another to hold the cigarettes in juxtaposed rows in accordance with the standard packaging arrangement.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of packaging cigarettes which includes individually protecting each individual cigarette in one of a plurality of closely associated compartments, andapplying an outer wrapping around the ciga- 50 rettes thus individually protected.

A'more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved method of packaging cigarettes which includes formin a plurality of parallel grooves in a strip 0 protecting material, laying a cigarette in each groove, securing another strip of protecting material over the cigarettes thus laid, folding the strip with the cigarettes therein to form a plurality of layers, and applying an outer wrapping around the cigarettes thus individually protected.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in the art of packaging cigarettes which will result in a neat and inexpensive package of conventional form, the, 66 said package being effective for keeping the cigarettes in a firm and fresh condition and being otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view 70 the invention consists of the improved artop packaging cigarettes, and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and 7 all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustratin 16 one complete embodiment of the preferre form of the invention in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the an improved filler in unfolded condition; y

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the arrows indicating the manner of folding;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the filler in folded condition;

Fig. i is a side view of a cigarette package, part being broken away to show the improved filler in position therein;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a die showing one of the steps in the 9 manufacture of the filler; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the final step in the manufacture of the filler.

Referring to the drawing, the filler which is designated generally by the numeral 8 consists of two layers of material 9 and 10. This material is preferably very thin and may consist of tissue paper, glass-like aper or similar material. By reference to i 2 it may be seen that the two layers 9 am? 10;

are secured together along parallel spacedapart lines 11 by means of an adhesive or other suitable material to'form a plurality of compartments 12 for the individual cigarettes.

Inasmuch as the standard package of twenty cigarettes comprises two outer rows of seven and an intermediate row of six, it is preferred to form the filler in accordance with this arrangement in three sections, A, B and C. Inasmuch as the section C is to form the intermediate layer it is spaced from the section B by a web 13 which is of sufficient length to permit folding of the layer C on the layer B in the direction indicated bythe arrow to the position shown in Fig. 3. In a. similar manner the section A is spaced from the section B by a web 14 which is of greater length than the web 13 to permit a folding of the section A over the other two folded sections in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

The folded filler is then wrapped in the conventional manner illustrated in Fig. 4 with an inner layer of foil coated paper, with a layer of paper 16 bearin the label and with an outer wrapping 17 of glass-like or similar material. The result is a package of conventional size and shape in which each cigarette is individually protected. It is to be noted that the filler is of less length than the cigarettes and terminates short of the upper end thereof to permit withdrawal of the cigarettes from the filler and package when they are being used.

In packaging the articles it is preferred to employ die members formed according to the principle shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The lower die member 18 is formed with a plurality of elongated (parallel grooves 19 therein and the upper ie member 20 is formed with projections 21 which are adapted to fit into the grooves. First, the layer of thin paper 10 to form one part of the filler is laid over the lower die member 18 and the upper die member 20 is operated to groove the paper 10 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. Next, the cigarettes are laid in the grooves of the paper and an adhesive is applied along the ridges 10 of said paper. The other layer of thin protecting paper 9 is then laid over the cigarettes and a flat die member 22 is brought into engagement therewith to cause adherence of said pa er 9 to the rid es 10'. The two ortions o the die may t en be separa and the packed filler removed therefrom, folded in the manner shown in Fi 3 and additionall wrapped as before descri ed to form the pee age shown in Fig. 4.

Althou h the invention has been shown and described in connection with a filler for use in a package ada ted to hold twenty cigarettes, it is to be un erstood that the filler may be readily constructed to hold two foldable sections of five cigarettes each for use in connection with a package adapted to contain ten. It is further to be understood that the sections forming the different layers may be separate from one another, although for convenience in manufacture the connected sections shown are preferable.

From the above it may be seen that the thin paper 10 is pressed closely around the cigarettes and conforms to the shape thereof. Thus the size of the cigarettes in the package is not materially increased and it is therefore possible to utilize the protecting filler without increasing the size of the standard package. In the drawing the material 9 and 10 used in the filler is shown by .double lines for purposes of clarity. This material, however, is not as thick as it appears. 7

It is also apparent from the drawing that any number of cigarettes may be withdrawn from the filler and package without affecting those remaining therein as each cigarette even to the last to be used will be supported in an upright osition and effectively protected from shitting about in the package and becoming broken.

. It is further to be understood that other embodiments of the invention may be utilized and that all such embodiments are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette package comprising a filler having a plurality of spaced and connected sections, each section being formed with a plurality of elongated, parallel compartments of a size to snugly hold and protect individual cigarettes, said sections being foldable one on another and the spacing between two of said sections being such that the compartments of one section fit in the recesses formed between adjacent compartments of the adjacent section, and an outer flexible wrapper enclosing said folded filler and cigarettes, the filler being constructed of thin paper and the walls of adjacent compartments being in contact with one another to provide for the use of an outer wrapper of the same size as would be employed to, package an e ual number of cigarettes without the use of a Her.

2. A cigarette package comprising a filler having an intermediate section provided with seven cigarette receiving compartments, an end section having six cigarette receiving compartments, and a second end section having seven cigarette receiving compartments, said compartments bein of a size to snugly hold and protect individiial cigarettes, a web connecting said first end section with the intermediate section, said web being of such length as to provide for folding of said end section on the intermediate section with the compartments fitting in the recesses formed betwen adjacent compartments of the intermediate section, a second web connecting said second end section to the intermediate section of such length as to provide for folding of said second end section over both of the other sections, and an outer flexible wrapper enclosing said folded filler and cigarettes, the filler bein constructed of thin paper and the walls of a jacent compartments being in contact with one another to provide for use of an outer wrapper of the same size as would be employed to package an equal number of cigarettes Without the use of a filler.

3. A cigarette package comprising a filler having an intermediate section and end sections on each side thereof, each section having a plurality of parallel elongated open ended compartments for holding and protecting individual cigarettes, a web conn'ects ing one end section to the intermediate section, said web being of suificient length to provide for folding of said end section on the intermediate section, a second web connecting the other-end section to the intermediate section, said second web being of greater length than the first web to provide for folding of said other end section over both said intermediate section and the first end section, and an outer flexible wrapper enclosing said folded filler and cigarettes, the filler being constructed of thin paper and the walls of adjacent compartments being in contact with one another to provide for use of an outer wrapper of the same size as would be employed to package an equal number of cigarettes without the use of a filler.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR V. STRELITZ. 

